Assam Govt tables bill to derecognize Islamic Madrassas

Guwahati, Dec 29: Assam Government recently tabled a bill called the Assam Repealing Bill, 2020 that will abolish all the state-run Madrassas and will convert them into schools from April 1, 2021. Madrassas is a type of educational institution that teaches the religion of Islam.

 

The bill will abolish two existing acts namely, the Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialism) Act, 1995 and the Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialism of Services of Employees and Reorganization of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018. There will be no change in allowances, change of status or service conditions of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

 

There are 610 state run Madrassas in Assam. According to the survey conducted by a Guwahati University Professor it was founded that the parents and guardians of most of the students of Madrassas are not aware that the children are not taught regular subjects in Madrassas.

 

Rather they are imparted lessons of theology. Therefore, it is essential to convert the Madrassas into regular schools that provide primary and secondary education.

 

Madrassas are educational institutions that teach the religion of Islam and thus imparts only religious education. The first network of Madrassas was built in Iran, Khorasan and Mesopotamia by Nizam-al-Mulk. The Madrassas mainly teach the holy book of Muslims; 'The Holy Quran'.

 

In 2015, the Maharashtra Government had faced wide criticism for derecognizing Madrassas. The Maharashtra State Govt too had brought up the same reason that Madrassas provide the students education merely based on religion without imparting formal education of fundamental subjects such as Maths, English and Science.